Taking Sides: The Christian's Responsibility in Civic Affairs

A common misconception lurks among American Christians that politics can be separated from our beliefs and that the Church – the Body of Christ - should not be engaged in the political arena.

Elections, conventions and politics are merely practical means for implementing a body of beliefs about the human condition. Every policy advanced, every piece of legislation passed and every opinion rendered by a court presupposes certain beliefs about the nature and relationship between humanity and government: from whom and how you tax, to whom you choose to defend, to what you can say, think, or do and how you spend your money.

We must, then, reject the notion that human existence can be divided into “political” and “non-political” segments. We are people, after all and any ideas, policies, or decisions that affect people are inescapably political in nature.

The Bible, of course, has something to say about people and the human condition: who we are, where we come from, where we are going and what our duties must be. The Bible also has a lot to say about governments, kings, power and authority.

So if politics concerns the affairs of people and if the Bible has some important things to say about people and governments, what conclusions might we draw from the ongoing effort to discourage the Church from engaging in politics? Might it have something to do with what the Church believes? Indeed, what Scripture has to say about people and governments stands in stark contrast to the spirit of the age. The Word of God, in fact, makes a lot of people very uncomfortable.

We must therefore understand that the push to neutralize the Church or to ban...

I think many topics are mostly separated, but it makes no sense to demand a COMPLETE separation.

As an easy, non-political, non-ideological example, hockey and tennis are separate sports. However, Bjorn Borg took a slap shot from hockey and adapted it to tennis with success.

Science and religion are mostly separate. However Copernicus, for one, sought to understand the glories of God’s creation and greatly advanced science.

Judaism and Christianity are about one’s relation to God. I think that is good. They are far better than Islam, which is a religion fashioned for political and military conquest.

The religious and the secular are mostly separate. However, the Christian opposition to slavery made the world a better place. According to a book by D’Souza, schools and hospitals are among the institutions that are primarily religious (Christian) in origin.

I find myself at odds with a belief of the left, both atheist left and religious left. They believe it compassionate and charitable to spend other people’s money to help the poor. That sure is a cheap way to achieve virtue. Sorry, it’s too good to be true.

Give one’s own time or money. Giving someone else’s money (through government taxation and spending) is theft. Christians should have a problem with theft.

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